Quote:
Originally Posted by Waye Mason
Oh - maybe because of this: "Chances are you heard some blatantly untrue statements during last night's debate. It's a cynical, manipulative strategy, but it works: Psychological studies have consistently shown that oft-repeated statements are more likely to be perceived as true, regardless of their actual veracity."
http://www.psmag.com/politics-and-la...ted-falsehoods
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The "big lie" approach to propaganda--say it often and with conviction and people believe it. I think our local civic tropes are similar, in that we hear over and over (and repeat to ourselves) that Haligonians hate change, or that heritage crazies run the city, etc. Not particularly true in either case, but widely assumed to be so.
Also, of course, there's the contingent of folks who think every proposal should simply be rubber-stamped without regard for planning, aesthetics, heritage, community concerns, or whatever else. The opposite but equally simplistic extreme of the vocal minority of anti-everything types.